Midshipman Charged With Assaulting Taxi Driver

Anne Arundel County Police have charged a Navy midshipman with assault involving a taxi driver.

Police say that Gabriel Voumard used a butter knife to try and attack the taxi driver after a dispute over a fare early Sunday morning.

Voumard is now charged with first degree assault.

The Naval Academy says that Voumard is a junior at the academy.

A spokesman for the academy tells WBAL Radio "the Naval Academy is fully cooperating with local law enforcement on this matter. As this is an ongoing investigation and legal matter, it would be inappropriate to comment further.”

Read more from Anne Arundel County Police.

First Degree Assault Annapolis, MD

On April 20, 2014 at approximately 2:20 a.m., officers responded to the 1400 block of Bay Head Rd Annapolis, MD 21409 for a report of an assault.

Upon their arrival, they spoke with the victim, a 40 year-old male from Annapolis, who advised he had been assaulted. The victim works as a cab driver for La Union Taxi Cab Co. He picked up two fares from a bar on West Street in Annapolis and transported them to the 1400 block of Bay Head Rd. The victim advised the two fares of the cost and at that time they advised they did not have a credit card and had to get cash from inside the residence.

The victim advised that one of the fares, later identified as Gabriel Marc Voumard, 22, is a midshipman from the Naval Academy, stayed inside the vehicle while the other went inside. Notification to the Academy was made. The victim further advised that the other fare came back out of the residence with less money than was owed. At that point the two of them ran inside of the house. The victim advised that a woman then came outside of the home and told him that they were coming with more money.

The victim then advised that Voumard then came back outside with a knife. The victim was standing in the driveway at this time. He advised that Voumard ran aggressively toward him and proceeded to raise the knife up next to the right side of his head pointing it in the victim’s direction.

The victim then ran back to his vehicle. The suspect then dropped the knife on the ground outside of the victim’s driver's side door and then went back inside the residence.

Officers spoke to both the victim and the suspect. They observed a silver butter knife on top of the taxi. They also observed that Voumard was extremely intoxicated.

Voumard was arrested and transported to Eastern District Police Station where he was charged with First Degree Assault, Second Degree Assault, and Reckless Endangerment.

This is an ongoing investigation as detectives are interviewing and attempting to identify other potential witnesses.